Princess Michael with her husband, also called Michael, and a dog, which doesn’t pay taxes (Picture: WireImage)

Elisa Allen, who is associate director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), told The Times that Princess Michael should ‘exercise caution’.

‘PETA urges Princess Michael to study the subject, rather than making an off-the-cuff statement that reflects ignorance of the issue of what fundamental rights animals have, which do not include the right to drive a car or build up an overdraft,’ she said.

‘She should also exercise caution in opining at all on such issues, because her daft assessment would mean that children and certain classes of human beings are also not entitled to rights.’

This isn’t the first time Princess Michael has drawn the ire of animal rights campaigners.